Product Description

Each topic in this text is covered by both secondary readings and a wide variety of primary source documents, including legal decisions, diary entries, newspaper reports, literary accounts, government hearings, and advertisements for athletic equipment.

Customer Reviews (1)

Gives legitimacy to the study of American sports
First a word about the "Major Problems" line:it is designed to be a text in college history courses.Each chapter is divided into two parts:1) Primary sources2)Two or three scholarly articles (usually written by an expert in the field).Each source or article is designed to act as a springboard for classroom discussion lead by the professor.In all, I like the format of the line of books and enjoyed it when a professor assigned it as a text.I'm so nerdy, in fact, that I've bought a couple books from the "Major Problems" lines to read for pleasure. This particular title in the series was compiled by a former professor of mine, Steven Riess.He succeeds in putting together a series of documents that enlighten, challenge opinions and, in all, provide a wealth of information while leaving no clear cut answers.Favorites include essays on why sports were restricted in colonial New England (because of religions reasons or for practical/safety reasons?), the interview with Muhammad Ali, and Chapter 14: The Business of Sport (highlighting the benefits, drawbacks and inside deals involved in big money major leagues).Riess also succeeds in giving legitimacy to the study of sport--think of all the money spent on tickets, all the air time, advertisements, etc. that are involved in modern sports.Sports IS a major part of American society and Riess helps to present its rich history and evolution.This is a college text book--not something one would take to the park with them on a Sunday afternoon to read under a tree, but this was notRiess' intention.Clearly, he hit the mark he was aiming for. ... Read more

Product Description
This engaging and informative text will hold the attention of students and scholars as they take a journey through time to understand the role that history and philosophy have played in shaping the course of sport and physical education in Western and selected non-Western civilizations. From Mesoamerica and Ancient Greece to the 2008 Olympic Games, the book touches on religion, politics, social movements, and individuals as they contributed to the development of sport and physical education. An extensive array of pedagogical tools--including timelines, comprehensive lists of chapter objectives, suggested websites, and discussion questions--aids the learning experience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Yep!
The description for this item was very accurate adn honest. There was minor wear on the corners, but still very useable. Well worth it.

Fine book with a notable exception
As an overview of the philosophy of sport from Egypt and Ancient Greece to the present time, this is a fine volume. But it is breathtaking that in a review of the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich the author saw fit to recall "Notable" performances in track and field events, gymnastics, swimming and more and yet managed to leave out the most notable and historic contest of all: the gold medal basketball game between Russia and the United States. This was the United States' first "loss," since basketball's inclusion in 1936, though they were swindled out of their gold after officials put time back on the clock on three consecutive occasions.

In a spirit of solidarity and righteous indignation the American team refused to accept their silver medals.

How can this episode--which is arguably the greatest instance of official bias
in sports history--not be recognized in an objective history of this sort?

Ken Shouler ... Read more

Product Description
In this long-awaited book from the risingsuperstar of sportswriting, whose blog “The Edge of Sports” is read each week by thousands ofpeople across the country, Dave Zirin offers ariotously entertaining chronicle oflarger-than-life sporting characters anddramatic contests and what amounts to analternative history of the United States as seen through the games its people played. ThroughZirin’s eyes, sports are never mere games, but a reflection of—and spur toward—the politicalconflicts that shape American society.

Half a century before Jackie Robinson wasborn, the black ballplayer Moses FleetwoodWalker brandished a revolver to keep racist fans at bay, then took his regular place in thelineup. In the midst of the Depression, whenalmost no black athletes were allowed on theU.S. Olympic team, athletes held a CounterOlympics where a third of the participants wereAfrican American.

A People’sHistory of Sports in the United States isreplete with surprises for seasoned sports fans, while anyone interested in history will be amazed by the connections Zirin draws between politicsand pop flies. As Jeff Chang, author ofCan’t Stop Won’t Stop, puts it, “Afteryou read him, you’ll never see sports the sameway again.”

... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

The "Conscience" of Sport
Please correct me if I'm wrong but I believe it was The Washington Post who called David Zirin "the conscience of sport media". He tells you all the rest of the information that has been left out on the daily news feeds & sports talk shows for one reason or another; often the info you really should hear about. Mr. Zirin puts things into perspective & that is an understatement. If you want to be truly informed on sport, if you want to develop your opinions based on "the rest of the information" then read Zirin.Even if you find that from time to time you don't agree with him, you'll still have pertinent information to expand your sport knowledge base. Oh yes, and I recommend getting on his Edge of Sports email list.

great book
excellent book for people who care about the dirty, hidden side of sports. writing is excellent. zirin is a pioneer and we need to hear his voice over the maddening sports crowd. hopefully he'll continue to produce reams of additional spectacular material.

A must-read even if you're not a sports fan
Zirin reports on how sport is more than just about winning a game.There's more at stake than bragging rights and fat paychecks.Like it or not, sport has effected our views about race, gender, sexuality, economics and government.There are no ifs, ands or buts when it comes to rules of game, "but when the playing field is shown to be unlevel, it stings.This sporting reality can wake people up and reveal the hidden inequities in our society that otherwise go unnoticed."

Before reading this book I had a fuzzy opinion about whether or not athletes should raise their voices on political issues.I can now strongly say that indeed they should.If not for the words and actions provoked by athletes of our nation's past, then the many inequalities suffered both on and off the field would have continued to endure today.

ESSENTIAL READING FOR OPEN MINDED SPORTS FANS
David Zirin's masterfully researched and well-written "A People's History of Sports in the United States" is essential reading for anyone interested in sports and its relationship to society. My only gripe with the book is that I wish it were 150 pages longer, with more in-depth analysis of the events described. Nonetheless, this is a compelling read. From the Revolutionary War to the events at Jena, Louisiana (the lynching jokes and fights that got African American students in trouble), "A People's History" reveals that sports in this country isn't simply a red, white, and blue, non-political game, but a landscape where revolutionaries have thrived, both in competition and in their attempts at social change.A must read.

Eye-opening
Games are never just games. Even when children play, they are mastering the skills and cultural messages they will need to become successful adults. Yet in America, we cling to a cultural myth that sports are apolitical. We have the news channel CNN and the sports channel ESPN, and they are supposed to be entirely separate and distinct.

In this enlightening book, sportswriter Dave Zirin debunks this myth, exposing the politics, business interests, and cultural forcesthat have shaped modern sports. Zirin traces the history of sports from the lacrosse-playing days of the Choctaw Indians all the way to the modern steroid scandals and the behind-the-scenes politics of the international Olympic Games. Throughout, he focuses on how race-related conflicts have helped to shape modern athletics.

The host of a popular blog called "The Edge of Sports" (edgeofsports.com) and a regular contributor to the L.A. Times and the Nation magazine, Zirin has an engaging style that will appeal to sports fans, history buffs, and anyone else who wants their eyes opened. The favorable reviews and high sales certainly suggest that this book will help reduce the myth of sports as apolitical. (See the publisher's website, newpress.com, for links to recent publicity, which includes a favorable plug in Time Magazine.) Author Jeff Chang promises that after reading this book "you'll never see sports the same way again"; author Jim Bouton (Ball Four) goes even further by predicting that this is "the opening shot in the battle to reclaim sports."

Not only is the book enlightening, it is also a fun read full of engaging stories that you can share with friends and family while you are waiting for the game to begin. And if by game time you haven't yet convinced them that politics is embedded in sports, Zirin recommends an exercise that will unmask the "coercive patriotism" surrounding them: Have them try staying seated while the national anthem is being played, and they are being told to stand to support the troops in Iraq. ... Read more

Product Description
Gorn and Goldstein show us where our games and pastimes came from, how they developed, and what they have meant to Americans. The great heroes of baseball and football are here, as well as the dramatic moments of boxing and basketball. Beyond this, the authors show us how sports fit into the larger contours of our past. A Brief History of American Sports reveals that from colonial times to the present, sports have been central to American culture, and a profound expression of who we are. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

very informative
The book was quite informative in giving the reader a look into sports that is not often mentioned. ... Read more

Product Description
Sports in American History: From Colonization to Globalization journeys from the early American past to the present to give students a compelling grasp of the historical evolution of American sporting practices. This text provides students with insights that will allow them to develop new and alternative perspectives, examine sport as a social and cultural phenomenon, generate a better understanding of current sport practices, and consider future developments in sport in American life.

This expansive text is the most comprehensive resource on sport history, providing coverage of sport by historical periods--from the indigenous tribes of premodern America, through colonial societies, to the era of sport in the United States today. Unlike previous sport history texts, Sports in American History examines how women, minorities, and ethnic and religious groups have influenced U.S. sporting culture. This gives students a broader knowledge of the complexities of sport, health, and play in the American experience and how historical factors, such as gender, ethnicity, race, and religion, provide a more complete understanding of sports in American history.

The easy-to-follow material is divided into nine chronological chapters starting with sporting practices in colonial America and ending with globalized sport today, making it ideal for a semester-long course. Each chapter includes objectives, an introduction, a summary of the points covered, and discussion questions to help students easily identify and remember the key concepts presented. In addition, the text has the following features:

• An extensive time line of significant sport and nonsport events gives students a handy reference point from which to view the past.
• End-of-chapter discussion questions help students comprehend the material and aid instructors in class preparation.
• Sidebars provide alternative perspectives about sport issues and developments, including international differences in the organization, play, and culture of sport. "People and Places" sidebars offer brief glimpses into key institutions and figures that have affected sport during a particular period.
• Primary documents from each historical period--including newspapers, illustrations, photographs, historical writings, quotations, and posters--are integrated into each chapter to bring the time periods to life for students.
• An extensive bibliography features primary and secondary sources in American sport history.

Product Description
The NFL has never been hotter--witness the $21.4 billion it will rake in on the TV-rights deals now in place (not to mention its own network), the proliferation of football news and information and the game's booming popularity among sports fans, including the 23 millioin who read SPORTS ILLUSTRATED every week. These 320 pages capture, in breathtaking words and pictures, the essence of America's game: the players and performances, the crucial moments and classic matchups, the enduring dynastics and unique characters that have made pro football the new national pastime. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Awsome
This is a remarkable book with lots of pictures.Great for hardcore football fans.Geaux Saints

Great gift idea
Got this as a present for my husband.The book has lots of great photos and interesting information on many players throughout football history. Great for any NFL fan.

Great gift
Bought this for my brother as a Christmas gift. He and I are both into sports, so when I received it, I thought it was so great I wanted one for myself. Lots of information, great file photos.

Sports Illustrated:The Football Book
My son loves this book.He saw it elsewhere but I got a better deal for it from Amazon.I am very happy with this purchase.

Value for the money
This made a great gift! This book is quite large - filled with wonderful photos - and packed with information all things football.It is rather large to take to bed to relax with, in my opinion, but is better suited to view/read sitting in your lounger. I'd buy this book for anyone that loves football....truly value for the money. Great coffee table book. ... Read more

Product Description
Meet the most accomplished and interesting Jewish athletes in the history of sports in this entertaining new title by the author of The Big Book Of Jewish Baseball. Its heroes range from the pioneering boxing displays of Daniel Mendoza to the baseball triumphs of Sandy Koufax & today's Shawn Green. Here you'll learn about the little-known Sphas, Philadelphia's all-Jewish, world champion basketball team, as well as the well-known football triumphs of Sid Luckman and Jay Fiedler. They're all featured in this mini-encyclopedia: yesterday's legends & today's rising stars, including the 150 Greatest Jewish Athletes of all time rated according to achievements. These exciting stories are presented in an accessible, easy-to-read format with a generous supply of photos, autographs, and other sports memorabilia, as well as biographies and anecdotes about each player. This book is a perfect gift for readers of all ages whith an interest in sports or Judaica. ... Read more

Product Description
The first book of its kind, this lively history of British sport since 1800 goes beyond a few great names and moments to explain how sports have changed, what they have meant to ordinary people, and reveals what is especially distinctive about British sport in particular.The British were innovators in abandoning traditional, often brutal, sports, and in establishing a code of "fair play," which spread throughout the late Victorian Empire.They were also pioneers in popular sports and in the promotion of organized commercial spectator events, with the accompanying rise of professionalism. ... Read more

Product Description
Continuing in the tradition of Sports Illustrated’s 50th Anniversary Book and The Football Book comes a spectacular celebration of baseball that will be treasured by fans of the National Pastime.With the same kind of unforgettable photographs and award-winning writing that propelled The Football Book to surpass the sales of The Anniversary Book, a New York Times best-seller, this lavish coffee-table volume brings to life the legendary players, the classic action and the great traditions of the Summer Game. In 294 oversized pages, The Baseball Book commemorates the epic teams and characters, the crucial plays and classic games, the personalities and performances and artifacts that have kept baseball at the heart of American sports for more than a century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Great book!
Love this book! Makes a great coffeetable book and can be a great coversation starter!

Baseball illustrated
Thank you so much for your lighting fast shipping. This made our Christmas go alot smoother since this was a Christmas gift and they are going to open their gift on time now. We really appreciate professional sellers like you that try their best for their customers. Thank you,again and Merry Christmas :)

Baseball History
A great book about Baseball. Lots of Info and Awesome pictures. I highly recommend this book!

Baseball Addicts Dream Book
I bought this book for my 12 year old nephew. He said his dad has a copy but won't let him look at it. He was so happy to get his own copy. He was showing it to everybody. And..the best part is, Auntie got a big hug from him.

Great for baseball fans
Book that is great for baseball fans.Photos and facts that are good fun for an old man to sit down with. ... Read more

Product Description

This lively and clear survey provides a wide-ranging overview of the history of modern sports, covering such topics as:

• why human beings are athletes
• how the major modern sports came about and how they spread throughout the world with the help of enthusiastic individuals, sports organizations, the YMCA and the Olympic movement
• discussions of some of the most popular of the 300 modern world sports including: soccer, basketball, baseball, cricket, table tennis, tennis, Formula One racing, golf, swimming, skiing, volleyball, track and field, boxing, judo and cycling
• the history of both western and non-western sports in depth, as well as the increasing globalization of sports today
• the challenges facing the world of sports today, such as commercialization and the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Sports historians and cultural studies students will all find this book gives a fascinating and invaluable insight into the world of sport through history.

Product Description

Since the dawn of athletic competition during the original Olympic Games in Ancient Greece, athletes, as well as their coaches and trainers, have been finding innovative ways to gain an edge on their competition. Some of those performance-enhancement methods have been within the accepted rules while other methods skirt the gray area between being within the rules and not, while still other methods break the established rules. In modern times, doping - the use of performance-enhancing drugs - has been one method athletes and their trainers have used to beat their competition. The history of sports doping during the modern era can be traced through the events and scandals of the times in which the athletes lived. From the use of amphetamines and other stimulants in the early 20th century, to the use of testosterone and steroids by both the USSR and the United States during Cold War-era Olympics games, to blood doping and EPO, to designer drugs, the history of doping in sports closely follows the medical and technological advances of our times. In the early 21st century, the possibility of genetically engineered athletes looms. The story of doping in sports over the last century offers clues to where the battle over performance enhancement will be fought in the years to come.

Customer Reviews (4)

Compulsory reading
This book is compulsory reading for those who have an interest in sport and not just about the the drug scandals that have plagued sporting contests ever since the ancient Olympic Games. This is an easy-to-read factual account of many of the highlights (and lowlights)of doping scandals in sport. The book however goes beyond the historical facts and points to the prospect of Gene Doping, a scenario that should concern everyone not just sporting folk. If drugs don't kill sport as we know it then perhaps Genetic Doping may be the last straw. Readers are left to ponder the possibilities!

Breathtaking Overview
Dan has created a must-read for anyone interested in the topic of doping in sport.It's easy to get caught up in the doping scandal of the moment, whether it's Marion Jones, or Roger Clemens, or Floyd Landis.Dan provides much-needed perspective, by giving us more than 100 years of doping history.With this perspective, we can see that no decade in the modern era lacks a doping scandal and no sport is immune from doping.

The book should be mandatory reading for every media talking head.Too often, we take the most recent doping story du jour, and attack the alleged doper as single-handedly corrupting our youth and destroying sport as we know it.Dan points out a bigger truth: doping is out there, every athlete has the opportunity to dope, and we fail to understand the problem if we focus on demonizing whatever athlete is currently connected with doping in the headlines.

In order for Dan to give us this kind of 50,000 foot view, he's had to keep each of his doping stories short and to the point.Often, I found this frustrating -- just as Dan got me hooked on one doping story, he'd move on to another.Many of these stories deserve their own books (and quite a few DO have their own books), but I think Dan's book serves a different purpose.It reminds us that these stories are NOT unique, that doping is now woven into the fabric of sport.

a timely and relevant book
"Dope: A History..." is a well-balanced and informative book that brings clarity and perspective to an oft and all too easily misunderstood topic. Given the spate of doping scandals that consistently hit the news these days, it is timely and relevant. Daniel M. Rosen's writing is concise yet easy to follow, offering a wealth of historically grounded facts and interesting anecdotes. This book should be required reading for the professional - athlete, coach or official - as well as the lay person.

A must for any sports fan
Dope provides a complete and engaging look at the role doping has played in sports over the years. Until very recently, most governing organizations and governments actively encouraged doping amongst its athletes. As pressure mounted, these organizations served platitudes but turned a blind eye to the actions of its athletes and coaches thus tacitly endorsing the practice.Finally in recent years, we are seeing the beginning of a real culture shift.We have come a long way in just a short time.

Mr. Rosen covers all sports from Olympic to US professional sports providing detailed information on the BALCO scandal.There is just enough science to understand the narrative but the author is able to steer clear of sounding like a medical textbook.

Given the backdrop of the current Olympic Games and some of the stories surrounding mysterious changing passports and other suspicious activities this book could not be better timed.

Instead of leaving the reader suspicious of any athletic accomplishment, Mr. Rosen leaves us hopeful that a clean sport is quickly descending on most athletic fields.
... Read more

Product Description

This lively and clear survey provides a wide-ranging overview of the history of modern sports, covering such topics as:

• why human beings are athletes
• how the major modern sports came about and how they spread throughout the world with the help of enthusiastic individuals, sports organizations, the YMCA and the Olympic movement
• discussions of some of the most popular of the 300 modern world sports including: soccer, basketball, baseball, cricket, table tennis, tennis, Formula One racing, golf, swimming, skiing, volleyball, track and field, boxing, judo and cycling
• the history of both western and non-western sports in depth, as well as the increasing globalization of sports today
• the challenges facing the world of sports today, such as commercialization and the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Sports historians and cultural studies students will all find this book gives a fascinating and invaluable insight into the world of sport through history.

Product Description
For more than a millennium, the ancient Olympics captured the imaginations of the Greeks, until a Christianized Rome terminated the competitions in the fourth century AD. But the Olympic ideal did not die and this book is a succinct history of the ancient Olympics and their modern resurgence.



Classics professor David Young, who has researched the subject for over 25 years, reveals how the ancient Olympics evolved from modest beginnings into a grand festival, attracting hundreds of highly trained athletes, tens of thousands of spectators, and the finest artists and poets. ... Read more

Product Description
Riess examines the evolution of sport from its rural and urban origins as a less-than-respectable entertainment for the lower classes, through its antebellum upsurge when, with the development of a new sport ideology, it attained respectability--penetrating and finally remaking popular culture.

Using a topical approach, Riess looks at sport from several vantage points, analyzing the interaction between sport and the rise of modern cities; the impact of sport on immigration, race, class, and gender; how sport became accessible through technological innovations; how it became integral to various educational and social movements; the coming of the professional sports figure; sport's links to politics and organized crime; and the role of women in sport. Highlighted with colorful anecdotes, the narrative unfurls a pageant of celebrities and unknowns, players, spectators, and entrepreneurs--all engaged in the drama that is American sport. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

very slow, academic read
Interesting subject matter, but desperate for a journalist's touch.Not for the recreational reader. ... Read more

Product Description
Continuing Sports Illustrated's tradition of producing best-selling coffee-table books for the holiday season, SI presents The Basketball Book, a lavish celebration of the athleticism and pageantry of both the college and professional game. With the same kind of unforgettable photographs and award-winning writing that propelled The Baseball Book, The Football Book and The Anniversary Book to The New York Times best-seller list over the past three years, this volume brings to life the legendary players, the classic action and the great rivalries of the court. In 294 oversized pages, The Basketball Book commemorates the epic teams and characters, the personalities and performances and artifacts that have created legions of passionate fans since Dr. James Naismith nailed up a peach basket and devised the Original 13 Rules of the game more than 100 years ago. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

great pictures
i got this as a gift for my boyfriend, an avid bball fan, he loved all the articles and pictures. its a pretty big coffee table book, and arrived quickly in good condition.

Disappointed
Not what I expected at all, but maybe that's my fault.

I was expecting a collection of basketball's greatest moments, but instead got more or less a history of basketball with pictures that depict very random moments and players of basketball.

It would've been okay as a history book if the writers weren't sports writers; since it is, it's neither history nor journalism but something very awkward inbetween.

Almost perfect for hardcore b-ball fans
SI has a great reputation and they've created a great thing here. Like the football book, this is oversized and perfect for the coffee table. In our house, it has helped kick start lot of discussions.

B-Ball
whether you are playing in the school yard on blacktop or in the gym on hardwood, basketball is rich and exciting with talent. this book tell the tale of some of B-Balls finest.

8 year old son loves this book!!
We could not get our son to stop reading this book!Hours and hours of reading. He not only learned the history of basketball but was comparing stats and sharing all his new knowledge with all our friends.What parent doesn't want that! ... Read more

Product Description
Providing a social, economic and political study of field sports and those other activities and customs labelled as rural sports, from the earliest of times to the present day in all of the United Kingdom and Ireland.

This book brings together several distinct types of traditional rural sports with particular emphasis on the social history and 'traditional' aspects. It contains several hundred entries focusing on individual sports and others providing analysis of key concepts, themes and terminologies.

The Encyclopedia of Traditional British Rural Sports is an invaluable reference that provides students, scholars and sports enthusiasts with a focussed and authoritative source of information on the history and culture of rural sport in Britain. ... Read more

Product Description

The field of sports history is no longer a fledgling area of study. There is a great vitality in the field and it has matured dramatically over the past decade. Reflecting changes to traditional approaches, sport historians need now to engage with contemporary debates about history, to be encouraged to position themselves and their methodologies in relation to current epistemological issues, and to promote the importance of reflecting on the literary or poetic dimensions of producing history. These contemporary developments, along with a wealth of international research from a range of theoretical perspectives, provide the backdrop to the new Routledge Companion to Sports History.

This book provides a comprehensive guide to the international field of sports history as it has developed as an academic area of study. Readers are guided through the development of the field across a range of thematic and geographical contexts and are introduced to the latest cutting edge approaches within the field. Including contributions from many of the world’s leading sports historians, the Routledge Companion to Sports History is the most important single volume for researchers and students in, and entering, the sports history field. It is an essential guide to contemporary research themes, to new ways of doing sports history, and to the theoretical and methodological foundations of this most fascinating of subjects.

Product Description
The second edition of Sport in Canada: A History examines the place of sports and games in Canadian life, mainly from a historical perspective, but also in view of contemporary society. Chapters explore how people have related to one another through sports, games, and pastimes throughout Canada's history. Assessing the broader social context within which particular sports emerged or disappeared and the forces that have shaped them, Sport in Canada is an indispensible volume for those studying the history of sport in this country. ... Read more